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LIFEMASTERS IMPROVES HEALTH OF MEDICARE AND MEDICARE RECIPIENTS IN FLORIDA IRVINE, Calif., September 2, 2008 - Medicare recipients participating in a large-scale disease management program in south Florida have experienced improvements in managing serious conditions like diabetes and congestive heart failure (CHF), according to research by LifeMasters Supported Self Care, Inc. to be released at the DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance's annual Forum 08 on Sept. 7 and 8 in Hollywood, Fla. A national provider of health improvement services, LifeMasters is working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on a demonstration project in multiple counties designed to measure the effectiveness of a disease management program in a Medicare fee-for-service population. The program is available to beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and who have congestive heart failure (CHF) or any combination of CHF, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Results show that the number of individuals actively participating in the program has steadily increased as new recruitment strategies have been incorporated. This increase in participation has led to greater health improvements the longer these individuals remain in the program. The goal is to ultimately reduce the number of hospitalizations and overall healthcare costs. "LifeMasters has worked successfully with CMS to develop creative and innovative interventions to help a group of people facing a difficult set of circumstances," said LifeMasters CEO Christobel Selecky, who will be presenting the results. "We have experienced improvements in enrollment surpassing our own projections. We know that the longer individuals stay in a disease management program, the greater the improvements in their health. " LifeMasters nurses work with participants over the phone and in their homes to help manage their conditions. They may check vitals, review medication dosages, or help the participant track weight and glucose levels - critical information that will be shared with the participant's physician. The nurses also have the training to identify those individuals who have difficulty fulfilling basic needs such as food, shelter, or safety and to connect them with community resources. In February 2008, LifeMasters received an extension from CMS of the demonstration project. Medicare determines eligibility and who may participate in the program using a randomized control design. The program is provided in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Marion, Volusia, Seminole, and Alachua for those beneficiaries who are eligible to participate and is offered as part of the beneficiaries' existing healthcare coverage at no additional cost. Note to Editors: Interviews with a program participant and LifeMasters nurse are available upon request. Please contact Abbie Pauley at 412-926-7093 or via e-mail at apauley@lifemasters.com. |
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